Third AFRICAN UNION - EUROPEAN UNION Agriculture

Ministerial ConferencePROGRAMME

AGRICULTURE, OUR FUTURE PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS

Rome, 21 June 2019

FOREWORD

The 3rd AU-EU Ministers of Agriculture Conference is one of the exemplary ways of operationalizing the valuable partnership between Africa and Europe in the area of sustainable agriculture.

As partners with a long and consistent history of partnership, we are more than convinced that we are on the path where we desire to be and continuing to register stronger and more efficient cooperation not matched by other regions.

We are cognizant and welcome the vision enshrined in the new Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs as a promising initiative for realizing growth and development in Africa, Europe and beyond. The initiative is timely and compliments Africa’s own effort and landmark progress made towards an Africa Continent Free Trade Area which is expected to boost trade in agricultural commodities and services within Africa and on the global market scene.

Africa’s renewed commitment to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is testament that Africa’s agriculture-related initiatives that fall under my docket remains the sector prioritized to spur Africa’s transformation in the coming years. I count on the AU-EU partnership instruments to support the delivery of Africa’s transformation agenda.

I commend the work undertaken by the Task Force Rural Africa since it was estab-lished in June 2018. It has given us all a very good focus on how to build on agri-food and rural agenda between our two continents.

The Task Force Report challenges us to do more, and do it effectively and in the most practical way. For the first time since we began this Conference, Task Force Rural Africa Report gave us the basis for planning the thematic areas to address. I applaud and welcome their recommendations in its entirety since they resonate with our focus in Africa.

Last but not least, the ministerial conference will allow us to reflect on joint work to understand what is working, what needs to be strengthened and the emerging issues we ought to take forward. Luckily, since 2014, African leaders already tasked us on ensuring mutual accountability on delivery of our various commitments towards Af-rica transformation. This conference is one of the mutual accountability processes to ourselves.

I wish all delegates fruitful deliberation, and a results-driven conference.

Josefa SackoAfrican Union Commissioner forRural Economy and Agriculture

FOREWORD

This Ministerial Conference is the latest – and a very important – step in the great journey of cooperation and partnership our two great continents are making together.

Africa and Europe can be very proud of the fact that we are building an ever closer partnership of equals, especially given that this is a time when other global regions are loosening their ties and growing further apart.

I am convinced that the new Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs will be a strong force for progress and prosperity, not alone on our two continents but throughout the world.

And of course I am particularly proud that the policy area of agriculture and rural development is leading the way!

Every journey needs a roadmap, and thankfully we have a very good one.

In March 2019, the Task Force Rural Africa delivered the first report to outline concrete policy recommendations for the Alliance. We now have a roadmap for an agri-food and rural agenda between our two continents.

The report is not intended to just deliver nice words – it is all about action.

The Task Force Report calls on us to do more, to do better, and to do it differently. It is innovative in several ways. I welcome its call for a territorial approach to rural development. Our own experience in Europe shows that this is the right approach.

I also welcome the emphasis on partnership between Africa and Europe at three levels: people to people, business to business and government to government. Collective action between our societies, businesses and governments is the key to developing rural areas and the agri-food sector.

Finally, I welcome the focus in the Report on how the private sector can provide responsible investment to develop Africa’s agri-food industry and increase jobs, prosperity and food security.

This summit is a great opportunity to take stock of the progress we have already made, and elaborate further concrete actions. I wish all delegates the best of luck, and I hope you have an enjoyable and productive summit.

Phil HoganAgriculture and rural developmentCommissioner

08.00 – 09.30 Registration at FAO (Viale Aventino - Rome)

09.30 – 12.00 High Level Thematic Sessions

Interpretation : English/French

Challenges and opportunities for agricultural investment Room Iraq

Chair - H.E. Prof. Tshibangu Kalala, Minister of Agriculture, Democratic Republic of Congo

Moderator – Thouraya Triki, Director, IFAD Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Department

Speakers and Panellists• Baudouin Michel, Member of the Task Force for Rural Africa• Suzanne Van Tilburg, Rabobank, Global Head Corporate Relations• Elizabeth Nsimadala, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF)• Jerry Parkes, Director Injaro• Masha Kola, CEO, Babban Gona• Dimitry Van Raemdonk, EDFI Management Company• Salma Seetaroo, CEO, Ivoirienne Noix de Cajou• Franco Manzato, Undersecretary of State for agriculture, Italy

Agriculture research and innovation needs in light of climate challengeChair – H.E. Didier Guillaume, Minister of Agriculture, France

Room Malayasia

Moderator – Norman Jardine, European Commission

Speakers and Panellists• Daniel Nahon, Centre Européen de Recherche et d'Enseignement des Géosciences de

l'Environnement• Yemi Akinbamijo, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa• Florence Nakayiwa, Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture

(RUFORUM)• Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Director, African Women in Agricultural Research and

Development (AWARD)• Giovanni de Santi, European Commission, Director, Joint Research Centre

Use of digital solutions in agricultureChair – H.E. Moussa Baldé, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipement, Senegal

Room Ethiopia

Moderator – Isolina Boto, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA)

Speakers and Panellists• H.E. Noel Koutera Bataka, Minister of Agriculture, Togo• H.E. Luis Planes Puchades, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Spain• Michael Hailu, Director, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA)• Michael Tsan, Dalberg Advisors• Joseph Mucheru, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICTs, Kenya• Fatma Ben Rejeb, CEO, Pan-African Farmers’ Organisation• Engel Friederike Hessel, Head of Digital Innovation Division, German Federal Ministry of

Food & Agriculture & Director of the Thünen Institute of Agricultural Technology• Bernard Yvetot, Vice-President international strategy, Orange Group Strategy division• Stewart Collis, Senior Programme Officer for Digital Solutions, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation• Bernard Joffe, CEO, Jangolo, Cameroun

Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) and food safety as key for intra African tradeRoom German

Chair – H.E. Michael Creed, Minister of Agriculture, Ireland

Moderator – Matthew Hudson, Director, European Commission, Directorate General for Health and Food Safety

Key note speakers• Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety• H.E. Prof. Dr. Ezz El-Din Abu Steit, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Arab

Republic of Egypt

Panellists• Godfrey Bahiigwa, African Union Commission, Department of Rural Economy and

Agriculture, AUC-DREA• Sinare Sinare, South African Confederation of agricultural Unions• Jeremy Knops, Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee, COLEACP • Bernhard Url, European Food Safety Authority, EFSA • Marlynn Hopper, Standards and Trade Development Facility, WTO – STDF

12.00 – 14.30 Lunch and side events

Interpretation : English/French

• Side Event 1: 12.45-13.45 – Promoting sustainable regional agricultural value chains: the TFRA Recommendations, with focus on Climate Action Room Ethiopia

• Side Event 2: 12.45-14.15 – Continental Strategy for Geographical Indications in Africa Room Sheikh Zayed

• Side Event 3: 13.00-14.15 – African Food Safety Agency Room Malaysia

• Side Event 4: 13.00-14.15 - Financing African agriculture transformation and AU-EU Partnership Room Iraq

• Side Event 5 : 13.00-14.15 – Opportunities and benefits for women’s engagement with agri-business development Room German

• Side Event 6 : 13.00-14.15 - Modernizing Africa’s Agricultural Value Chains: Opportunities and Challenges Room Mexico

14.30 – 17.45 Plenary AU – EU Agriculture Ministerial Conference

RED ROOM

Interpretation : English/French/Arabic

14.30 – 14.35 Welcome Moderator – Mark Abani, CEO of MSCA Projects

14.35 – 15.00 Opening addresses Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentH.E. Josefa Sacko, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural EconomyH.E. Petre Daea, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, RomaniaJosé Graziano Da Silva, Director-General, FAO

15.00 – 15.50 Keynote addresses A. Kalibata, President, AGRAH.E. Julia Klöckner, Minister for Food and Agriculture, GermanyH.E. Salif Ouédraogo, Minister for Agriculture and Water Development, Burkina FasoC. Geslain-Lanéelle, Misterial Delegate of the Minister of Agriculture and Food, FranceGilbert Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD)

15.50 – 16.30 Reporting of the morning high level thematic sessions Challenges and opportunities for agricultural investmentH.E. Prof. Tshibangu Kalala, Minister of Agriculture, Democratic Republic of Congo

Agriculture research and innovation needs in light of climate challengeH.E. Didier Guillaume, Minister of Agriculture, France

Use of digital solutions in agricultureH.E. Moussa Baldé, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipement, Senegal

Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) and food safety as key for intra African tradeBrendan Gleeson, Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland

16.30 – 17.15 Questions and answers Moderator – Mark Abani, CEO of MSCA Projects

17.15 – 17.45 Closing addresses H.E. Prof. Dr Ezz el-Din Abu-Steit, Minister of Agriculture, EgyptPhil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development

18.00 – 20.00 Closing reception

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